New Hampshire Commission To Study Cannabis Legalization

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu last week signed legislation to create a commission to study legalizing recreational marijuana via a plan that restricts adult-use cannabis sales to state-run retailers.

Previously opposed to legalizing recreational marijuana, Sununu changed his position earlier this year after an adult-use cannabis legalization bill failed in the New Hampshire Senate after receiving approval from the state House of Representatives. 

“Knowing that a majority of our residents support legalization, it is reasonable to assume change is inevitable. To ignore this reality would be shortsighted and harmful,” Sununu wrote in a statement in May. “That is why, with the right policy and framework in place, I stand ready to sign a legalization bill that puts the State of NH in the driver’s seat, focusing on harm reduction  —  not profits. Similar to our Liquor sales, this path helps to keep substances away from kids by ensuring the State of New Hampshire retains control of marketing, sales, and distribution  —  eliminating any need for additional taxes.”

Sununu said that he would sign a recreational marijuana legalization bill if it included provisions to make state-run shops the only retail outlets for adult-use cannabis purchases. New Hampshire uses a similar system for spirits sales, with the state’s 67 Liquor and Wine Outlet stores being the sole retailer of hard alcohol in the state. The governor added that he would not approve an adult-use cannabis legalization bill that did not include such a state-run model for retail sales of recreational weed.

“I am supportive of legalizing marijuana in the right way – with this legislature – rather than risk a poorly thought out framework that inevitably could pass under future governors or legislatures,” Sununu said. “Should the legislature pass future legalization bills without these provisions in place, they will be vetoed.”

New Commission Will Study Cannabis Legalization

The measure passed last week, House Bill 611, establishes a commission to study legalizing recreational marijuana in New Hampshire. The legislation tasks the study commission with examining a number of issues and policy proposals, including how the state should approach cannabis sales and marketing, keeping marijuana products away from young people and preventing oversaturation of weed shops in local communities. The commission will also explore ways to allow local governments to ban or limit state-run cannabis retailers in their jurisdictions.

The new commission will meet through the summer and fall months to study and develop a model that allows the state to control the distribution and sales of adult-use cannabis. The commission’s findings and recommendations must be submitted in a report by December 1.

New Hampshire’s 18-member cannabis legalization study commission will include five senators, five members of the House of Representatives and representatives of the Attorney General’s Office, the Governor’s Office, the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, the New Hampshire Bankers Association, the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, the American Civil Liberties Union, the New Hampshire Medical Society and Communities for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth. Additionally, the commission will be required to consult with the state’s Alternative Treatment Centers, which currently dispense therapeutic medical marijuana in the state, and the New Hampshire Cannabis Association, an industry group that has advocated for legalization.

If the commission succeeds and is able to submit recommendations that result in a successful cannabis legalization bill, New Hampshire, the only state in New England that has not legalized recreational marijuana, will join the 23 states that have legalized marijuana for adult use. Democratic state Representative Wendy Thomas, a sponsor of House Bill 611 and a medical marijuana patient, said that she hopes to be appointed to the state’s cannabis legalization commission. 

“All of the states who have legalized cannabis are getting all of our money,” Thomas told New Hampshire Public Radio on Wednesday. “We’re just throwing money away that could help our state.”

In order to be approved by Sununu, the commission’s recommendations will have to be developed into a bill that can be passed by the legislature during the 2024 legislative session. Sununu has said he will not run for re-election in 2024, making next year the last opportunity for the governor to sign a legalization bill into law. 

Critics of Sununu’s plan say it will establish a state-run monopoly on cannabis sales that restricts the power of growers to set their own prices. Others say the state-run approach limits opportunities for members of communities disproportionately impacted by decades of cannabis prohibition.

House Bill 611 also includes provisions to ease restrictions on the use of medical marijuana, which was legalized in New Hampshire in 2013, by patients with chronic pain. Under the previous regulations, patients could only receive a recommendation to use medical cannabis for chronic pain if they had first tried other options without success. The new law eliminates that restriction, effective on October 8, and allows patients to receive a medical marijuana recommendation without trying other, potentially more dangerous, options such as opioids.

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New Hampshire Medical Pot Dispensaries Open Business to Outsiders (Even Canadians!)

Medical cannabis patients who are visiting New Hampshire from another state or Canada can now receive the treatment from authorized dispensaries there. 

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced that, beginning on Wednesday, June 28, the state’s “alternative treatment centers” will be permitted to “dispense therapeutic cannabis to visitors from out of state and from Canada who are allowed to possess cannabis for therapeutic purposes in their state or province.”

“Visiting patients can purchase therapeutic cannabis from a New Hampshire ATC three times per year using their valid therapeutic cannabis identification issued by another state or Canada. If the out-of-state patient has a documented qualifying medical condition that is on the list of conditions approved by New Hampshire, those visiting patients may purchase cannabis at New Hampshire ATCs at the same frequency as New Hampshire qualifying patients,” the agency said in a bulletin posted on its website. 

“Visiting patients must show their out-of-state cannabis ID card and matching photo identification. There is a 2 ounce possession limit per patient, and all patients are limited to purchasing 2 ounces of cannabis in any 10-day period. Visiting patients must abide by all applicable state laws regarding their therapeutic use of cannabis,” the bulletin continued. 

New Hampshire legalized medical cannabis in 2013, when then-Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a bill into law. At the time, New Hampshire was only the 19th state to legalize the treatment.

“Allowing doctors to provide relief to patients through the use of appropriately regulated and dispensed medical marijuana is the compassionate and right policy for the state of New Hampshire, and this legislation ensures that we approach this policy in the right way with measures to prevent abuse,” Hassan, now a U.S. Senator, said in a statement at the time.

Today, 38 states now have medical cannabis laws on the books, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. And New Hampshire has expanded its own law, with Hassan signing a bill in 2015 that broadened the list of qualifying conditions. 

According to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, a patient “must be diagnosed with a stand-alone medical condition OR a combination of a qualifying diagnosis and a qualifying symptom” in order to receive medical cannabis treatment. 

Patients with the following stand-alone conditions are eligible, per the department: “Autism spectrum disorder (age 21 and older); Autism spectrum disorder (under age 21) (requires a consultation with a certified provider of child and/or adolescent psychiatry, developmental pediatrics, or pediatric neurology, who (1) confirms that the autism spectrum disorder has not responded to previously prescribed medication or that other treatment options produced serious side effects and (2) supports certification for the use of therapeutic cannabis); Moderate or severe post-traumatic stress disorder; Moderate to severe chronic pain; Severe pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects; Opioid use disorder, with associated symptoms of cravings or withdrawal (requires a provider who is actively treating the patient for opioid use disorder and who is board-certified in Addiction Medicine or Addiction Psychiatry).”

But New Hampshire remains the only state in New England that has yet to legalize recreational cannabis for adults –– although it is not for lack of trying. 

In May, the New Hampshire state Senate voted down a measure to legalize recreational pot after it had been passed by the state House of Representatives a month earlier.

The bill was rejected in the state Senate by a vote of 14-10.

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New Hampshire Medical Pot Dispensaries Open Business to Outsiders (Even Canadians!)

Medical cannabis patients who are visiting New Hampshire from another state or Canada can now receive the treatment from authorized dispensaries there. 

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced that, beginning on Wednesday, June 28, the state’s “alternative treatment centers” will be permitted to “dispense therapeutic cannabis to visitors from out of state and from Canada who are allowed to possess cannabis for therapeutic purposes in their state or province.”

“Visiting patients can purchase therapeutic cannabis from a New Hampshire ATC three times per year using their valid therapeutic cannabis identification issued by another state or Canada. If the out-of-state patient has a documented qualifying medical condition that is on the list of conditions approved by New Hampshire, those visiting patients may purchase cannabis at New Hampshire ATCs at the same frequency as New Hampshire qualifying patients,” the agency said in a bulletin posted on its website. 

“Visiting patients must show their out-of-state cannabis ID card and matching photo identification. There is a 2 ounce possession limit per patient, and all patients are limited to purchasing 2 ounces of cannabis in any 10-day period. Visiting patients must abide by all applicable state laws regarding their therapeutic use of cannabis,” the bulletin continued. 

New Hampshire legalized medical cannabis in 2013, when then-Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a bill into law. At the time, New Hampshire was only the 19th state to legalize the treatment.

“Allowing doctors to provide relief to patients through the use of appropriately regulated and dispensed medical marijuana is the compassionate and right policy for the state of New Hampshire, and this legislation ensures that we approach this policy in the right way with measures to prevent abuse,” Hassan, now a U.S. Senator, said in a statement at the time.

Today, 38 states now have medical cannabis laws on the books, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. And New Hampshire has expanded its own law, with Hassan signing a bill in 2015 that broadened the list of qualifying conditions. 

According to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, a patient “must be diagnosed with a stand-alone medical condition OR a combination of a qualifying diagnosis and a qualifying symptom” in order to receive medical cannabis treatment. 

Patients with the following stand-alone conditions are eligible, per the department: “Autism spectrum disorder (age 21 and older); Autism spectrum disorder (under age 21) (requires a consultation with a certified provider of child and/or adolescent psychiatry, developmental pediatrics, or pediatric neurology, who (1) confirms that the autism spectrum disorder has not responded to previously prescribed medication or that other treatment options produced serious side effects and (2) supports certification for the use of therapeutic cannabis); Moderate or severe post-traumatic stress disorder; Moderate to severe chronic pain; Severe pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects; Opioid use disorder, with associated symptoms of cravings or withdrawal (requires a provider who is actively treating the patient for opioid use disorder and who is board-certified in Addiction Medicine or Addiction Psychiatry).”

But New Hampshire remains the only state in New England that has yet to legalize recreational cannabis for adults –– although it is not for lack of trying. 

In May, the New Hampshire state Senate voted down a measure to legalize recreational pot after it had been passed by the state House of Representatives a month earlier.

The bill was rejected in the state Senate by a vote of 14-10.

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New Hampshire Rep. Goes from Republican to Independent Due to Rejection of Pot Legalization Bill

New Hampshire Representative Dan Hynes announced on Facebook that he is officially switching parties from Republican to Independent due to his belief that the Republican party no longer values priorities such as the defense of the Constitution or individual freedom.

In his post, he explained that there were three examples that led to his decision. This included his disappointment that legislators could not protect both the rights of parents as well as children, and also the recent passage of a budget with spending of approximately 20%, explaining that it was rushed and people didn’t have enough time to read it thoroughly.

Another matter that influenced his decision involved Republicans voting against cannabis legalization in a near-unanimous vote. “It is clear they are out of touch with the overwhelming majority of their constituents, and that they do not respect or advocate for personal freedom,” Hynes explained. “I hope Republicans can get back to advocating for a smaller government. Until that happens, I will continue fighting for a smaller government that protects the constitutional rights of everyone as an independent.”

The bill that Hynes mentioned refers to House Bill 639, which was rejected on May 11 and would have legalized recreational cannabis, established a regulatory framework, established a 12.5% tax on cannabis products, implemented movement for cannabis revenue to fund research, education, and substance abuse programs, and more.

In May, Sen. William Gannon expressed his opposition for HB-639, claiming that legalization would “sell out the future of New Hampshire youth for money, as Judas sold out Jesus for a few shining coins.”

Following the bill’s rejection, Sen. Becky Whitley and Sen. Shannon Chandley released their personal statements on the issue. “Today’s failure to pass HB-639 means New Hampshire will continue to miss out on significant revenues, as our residents purchase their cannabis products in neighboring states, and will result in the continuation of significant harms caused by marijuana prohibition,” Whitley stated. “Granite Starters have already waited long enough for cannabis legalization in our state, and the Senate majority intends to make our citizens wait even longer.”

Earlier in January, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu’s office shared that a bipartisan approach to cannabis legalization would never reach Sununu’s desk. “It’s failed in the Senate repeatedly, in both Republican-held years and Democrat-held years,” the office stated. “With teen drug use and overdoses on the rise, it is not anticipated that the legislature will see this as a time to ignore the data and move it forward.”

However in May, Sununu released another statement about his support for cannabis legalization that focuses on harm reduction. “NH is the only state in New England where recreational use is not legal. Knowing that a majority of our residents support legalization, it is reasonable to assume change is inevitable. To ignore this reality would be shortsighted and harmful,” Sununu stated. “That is why, with the right policy and framework in place, I stand ready to sign a legalization bill that puts the State of NH in the driver’s seat, focusing on harm reduction—not profits.”

Sununu ended his statement with a firm outlook on what kind of cannabis legislation he will and won’t veto. “I am supportive of legalizing marijuana in the right way —with this legislature —rather than risk a poorly thought out framework that inevitably could pass under future governors or legislatures. Should the legislature pass future legalization bills without these provisions in place, they will be vetoed,” Sununu stated. “This is the best path forward for our state, and I stand ready and willing to work with the legislature so that we can deliver a legalization bill that is smart, sustainable, and retains the fabric and culture of our state.”

A poll published by the University of New Hampshire in March 2022 found that 74% of residents approve of cannabis legalization.

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Five Myths About a State-Run Cannabis Industry

Five myths about a state-run cannabis industry. Because the debate between having a state-run vs. privately-owned cannabis industry is riddled with fallacies. State-owned vs. privately-owned cannabis companies. What’s the difference? Is one more advantageous than the other? Are state-run (or government-owned) farms and stores more concerned for the public than those pesky “for-profit” dispensaries? Let’s dispel five myths about a state-run vs. privately-owned cannabis industry. It’s not as if this is some abstract philosophical issue. Following New Hampshire’s Senate’s rejection […]

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New Hampshire Senate Votes Down Cannabis Legalization Bill

The New Hampshire state Senate on Thursday voted down a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, with senators on both sides of the aisle citing concerns for children’s safety. The measure, which was passed by the New Hampshire House of Representatives last month, was rejected in the Senate by a vote of 14-10 on May 11.

Republican Senator Jeb Bradley, the president of the New Hampshire Senate, said that as the state combats a drug addiction and overdose crisis, it is not the right time to legalize marijuana.

“Recreationalizing marijuana at this critical juncture would send a confusing message, potentially exacerbating the already perilous drug landscape and placing more lives at risk,” Bradley said in a written statement cited by the Coast Reporter.

Had the measure been passed by the state Senate and signed into law by Republican Governor Chris Sununu, House Bill 639 would have legalized the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana for adults aged 21 and older. If adopted, New Hampshire would have been the 22nd state in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana, making it the last in New England to end the prohibition of cannabis.

The legislation would have renamed the New Hampshire Liquor Commission as the Liquor and Cannabis Commission, which would have been tasked with regulating the commercial cultivation, processing, safety testing and distribution of cannabis. The measure also included a 12.5% tax on cannabis cultivation, with revenue raised by the tax dedicated largely to the state’s pension liability and New Hampshire’s education trust fund. Revenue raised from cannabis taxes would also have been used to fund substance misuse programs and law enforcement training.

Under current New Hampshire law, simple possession of up to ¾ of an ounce of cannabis is a civil offense subject to a fine of up to $100. Possession of cannabis in amounts greater than ¾ of an ounce is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $350.

Opponents Cite Youth Safety in New Hampshire

Senator Lou D’Allesando, the lone Democrat in the Senate to vote against the legalization bill, noted that he spent 50 years of his life as a teacher and coach. Also a grandparent, he said that he was opposing the bill to protect kids.

“It would say to our children that marijuana is safe and could be used without harmful consequences,” D’Allesandro said, “and nothing could be further from the truth.”

With the exception of D’Allesandro, all Democratic senators voted in favor of the bill, while all but one Republican voted against the measure. Democratic Senator Becky Whitley refuted claims that legalizing marijuana for adults would cause the rate of use by young people to rise dramatically.

“Youth already use marijuana right now in our state; it’s undeniable,” said Whitley. “What I want to see is a decrease in that use, and if we legalize, that’s what I’m hearing will happen.”

House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm said that legalizing marijuana has significant public support in New Hampshire, adding that regulating cannabis could have a positive impact on public health.

“Every day that New Hampshire remains an island of prohibition, more voluntary tax revenue from our residents flows to surrounding states to fund programs and services benefitting their residents,” Wilhelm said in a press release.

Frank Knaack, policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, criticized senators who failed to vote in favor of the legalization bill.

“These lawmakers are willing to ignore the will of their own constituents and are okay with continuing to needlessly ensnare over a thousand people — disproportionately Black people — in New Hampshire’s criminal justice system every year,” said Knaack.

The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed the legislation on April 7, but approval became unlikely in the Senate after a key committee recommended against passing the measure. Previous attempts to legalize recreational marijuana in New Hampshire have also seen success in the House of Representatives but failed to gain approval in the state Senate. Supporters of HB 639 had hoped that legalization efforts would finally see success in 2023.

“New Hampshire remains the only state in New England that has failed to legalize cannabis, while our neighbors benefit from increased revenue and their cannabis users benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product,” Democratic Representative Matt Wilhelm, a co-sponsor of the bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives, said in a statement after the bill succeeded in the lower chamber of the legislature last month. “Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023.”

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New Hampshire House Approves Cannabis Legalization Bill

The New Hampshire House of Representatives on April 7 approved bipartisan legislation to legalize cannabis for adults. The measure, House Bill 639 from Republican Representative Jason Osborne and Representative Matt Wilhelm, his Democratic colleague, was approved by the House by a vote of 272-109 late on Thursday. The legislation, which received initial approval from members of the House in February, now heads to the New Hampshire Senate for consideration.

“I am pleased to see New Hampshire take a step toward relieving gangsters and thugs from control of this market, keeping dangerous untested products away from consumers, and protecting children from harmful age-inappropriate products,” Osborne said in a statement after Thursday’s vote.

If passed by the state Senate and signed into law by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, House Bill 639 would legalize the possession and use of small amounts of cannabis for adults aged 21 and older. If adopted, New Hampshire would join the 21 states that have already legalized recreational marijuana, making the state the last in New England to end the prohibition on cannabis.

The legislation directs the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, which would be renamed the Liquor and Cannabis Commission, to regulate the commercial cultivation, processing, safety testing and distribution of cannabis. The measure also sets a 15% tax on cannabis cultivation, with revenue raised by the tax dedicated largely to the state’s pension liability and New Hampshire’s education trust fund. Revenue raised from cannabis taxes would also be used to fund substance misuse programs and law enforcement training.

Under current New Hampshire law, simple possession of up to ¾ of an ounce of cannabis is a civil offense subject to a fine of up to $100. Possession of cannabis in amounts greater than ¾ of an ounce is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $350.

“With the decisive passage of HB 639, the New Hampshire House has sent a strong message that this is the year to legalize adult-use cannabis in the Granite State,” Wilhelm said in a statement. “Every year we fail to legalize marijuana, the state wastes valuable resources and ruins the lives of many young and poor Granite Staters by enforcing failed prohibition.”

Previous Attempts To Legalize Cannabis in New Hampshire Failed

Previous attempts to legalize recreational marijuana in New Hampshire have also seen success in the House of Representatives but failed to gain approval in the state Senate. Supporters of HB 639 hope this year will be different.

“New Hampshire remains the only state in New England that has failed to legalize cannabis, while our neighbors benefit from increased revenue and their cannabis users benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product,” he continued. “Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023.”

While HB 639 was approved by the New Hampshire House of Representatives by a wide margin, the state Senate is less likely to vote in favor of the bill. The bill has bipartisan support in the Senate, however, including from Republican Senator Keith Murphy and Democrats Senator Becky Whitley and Senator Donovan Fenton, according to a report from The Center Square.

“Prohibition has proven over and over to be a failed public policy,” Murphy said in a statement. “It is especially ineffective when all of our surrounding states have already legalized marijuana possession and use. Investigating and prosecuting cannabis possession is a terrible waste of tax dollars. For these reasons, I am encouraging my Senate colleagues to support the bill.”

If the proposal is approved by the upper chamber of the state legislature, Sununu has indicated he will veto the bill if it makes it to his desk. If he does, the legislature would then have an opportunity to override the veto.

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Medical Cannabis Cultivation Bill Approved in New Hampshire House

House Bill 431 was introduced on Jan. 5, 2023, and has proceeded through numerous sessions and hearings before passing in the House on March 22. If passed, it would allow patients as well as caregivers to cultivate up to three mature plants, three immature plants, and 12 seedlings at home. Additionally, HB-341 would also increase the number of plants that medical cannabis dispensaries can grow, with 80 mature plants, 160 immature plants, and an endless number of seedlings.

The bill requires that patients report their cultivation to the Department of Health and Human Services, and as a qualifying patient or caregiver, would be protected from arrest by state or local law enforcement or penalty under state or municipal law.

During the hearings that have been conducted so far, two concerns have been discussed, according to Rep. Erica Layon of Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs. “This bill as amended provides a framework for therapeutic cannabis patients or their caregivers to grow cannabis with restrictions. This bill addresses two major problems for this community—access and price,” said Layon during a meeting on March 17. “The closest Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) may be far away and the cost of this product is high. Most therapeutic cannabis patients will continue to purchase their product from ATCs and those who choose to grow their own will be able to purchase seedlings from the ATC or grow from seeds according to their preference. This bill has broad support from stakeholders including patient representatives, ATCs and the department.”

Rep. Wendy Thomas, one of the sponsors of HB-341, tweeted about the bill’s progress so far. “Passed on a voice vote of the Consent Calendar—HB-431—Therapeutic home-grow now moves to the Senate One step closer. Thanks to all of the many advocates who have worked to make this happen. Let us not take our foot off the gas until we get this signed,” she posted on March 22. The bill now heads to the senate for further consideration.

On Twitter, Prime Alternative Treatment Centers Director of Public and Government Relations Matt Simon shared that he believes this is the 11th time that a medical cannabis cultivation bill has passed through the House since 2009. According to Simon, only four of those bills passed through the Senate.

As of January, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu’s office predicts that cannabis legalization will not reach his desk. “It’s failed in the Senate repeatedly, in both Republican-held years and Democrat-held years,” Sununu’s office said in a statement to New Hampshire Public Radio. “With teen drug use and overdoses on the rise, it is not anticipated that the legislature will see this as a time to ignore the data and move it forward.”

House Bill 360 also recently passed in the House on March 21, which would legalize adult-use cannabis by removing cannabis from the state’s list of banned substances and removing any criminal penalties for cannabis offenses. While cannabis would be legal to possess, cultivate, and purchase, it does not implement any tax or regulation program. It has also moved to the Senate for further consideration.

House Bill 639 has also been making its way through the House. If passed, it would legalize possession, cannabis sales, and gifting of up to four ounces, create a Liquor and Cannabis Commission to manage industry regulations statewide, implement taxes for cultivators, and much more. The latest hearing was held on March 20.

Rep. Anita Burroughs spoke during a floor debate for HB-639 on Feb. 22, and explained that it is “good legislation that is the result of the goodwill and diligent work of both political parties.” “We can now join other New England states that offer safe, regulated and a profitable cannabis industry to their citizens,” she continued.

Other representatives expressed their excitement when HB-639 passed on Feb. 22. “I cast my vote on cannabis legalization from seat 4-20!” Tweeted Rep. Amanda Bouldin. “We did the damn thing #blazeit” Rep. Jessica Grill shared.

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New Hampshire Votes to Legalize Without Regulations

Did New Hampshire vote to legalize cannabis without regulations or restrictions? The New Hampshire House of Representatives has approved two bills to legalize cannabis. About a month ago, the House passed your typical legalization bill, including taxes and regulations. While that’s tied up in the Senate, the House has introduced a “simple” legalization bill. House Bill 639 is a “simple” legalization bill that would remove cannabis from the state’s list of controlled substances. It also removes cannabis-related offences from the […]

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Legalization Bill Advanced in New Hampshire House

Lawmakers in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to move forward with legislation that would legalize recreational cannabis in the Granite State.

Members of the House voted 234-127 to advance the bill to a committee for further consideration. 

The measure “would make possession and use of cannabis legal for adults 21 and older,” while empowering “existing alternative treatment centers to expand their role in marijuana production to supply local retailers, with the Liquor Commission potentially taking on a greater oversight role,” according to local news station WMUR.

Wednesday’s approval in the House of Representatives was described as the “first big test” by local news station NECN, but the legislation still looks like a long-shot to become law. 

Republicans control the New Hampshire legislature, known as the state General Court, but the two chambers have long been split on the issue of marijuana legalization. 

While the House has pushed for an end to prohibition, the state Senate has not been on board.

After members of the state House approved a legalization bill last year, the measure was promptly voted down in the state Senate by a vote of 15-9.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, meanwhile, has been consistently averse to the policy.

“I’ve always said now’s not the time. Every state does it very different. I’ve always wanted to see what works and what doesn’t,” Sununu said last year during a debate in the state’s gubernatorial race. “There may be a way to do it but given that we are facing an opioid crisis, given that we still don’t know what works with other states, it could be inevitable, I get it, but you got to be patient about how you do it and the steps that are best for New Hampshire.”

Last month, the governor’s office dismissed the latest legalization proposal’s chances.

“It’s failed in the Senate repeatedly, in both Republican-held years and Democrat-held years,” the governor’s office said. “With teen drug use and overdoses on the rise, it is not anticipated that the legislature will see this as a time to ignore the data and move it forward.”

Advocates of the proposal in the state House of Representatives contend that New Hampshire is losing out on potential tax revenue to other states throughout the northeast that have already legalized recreational cannabis. 

“I want to make sure that New Hampshire citizens don’t have to go out of state to practice ‘Live Free or Die,’” said Republican state House Rep. John Hunt, as quoted by local news station NECN.

According to the station, “other supporters said the bill would ensure the safety of cannabis and would allow for significant local input in the permitting and licensing of facilities,” while opponents to the measure “focused on the danger of teen use and noted strong opposition from the law enforcement community.”

“Don’t be fooled by the addiction-for-profit industry that claims tax revenue will solve all our budget problems,” said GOP state House Rep. Lilli Walsh, as quoted by NECN. “It will change our state in unimaginable ways, none of which promote the common good.”

The latest legalization bill approved by the House on Wednesday “would put the state’s Liquor Commission in charge of regulating marijuana, with a 15% tax levied at the cultivation level,” while most “of the tax revenue would go toward reducing the state’s pension liability and the state’s education trust fund, with some set aside substance abuse prevention programs and police training.”

Polls have shown that legalization enjoys broad support among New Hampshire voters. 

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